Social Development Commmission
Using a “classroom” model, the VITA program of the Social Development Commission
(SDC) in Milwaukee empowered 41 taxpayers to prepare their own returns
on TaxWise desktop. With this experience under their belts, SDC hopes
to recruit them as volunteer tax preparers next year.
Self preparation
SDC’s approach to self preparation was different from many programs. Using a “classroom” model, 4 taxpayers sat at computers running TaxWise desktop, and were led step by step through their tax return by a volunteer demonstrating on a projector. If a taxpayer needed additional assistance, another volunteer would provide it.
While a volunteer preparer averages 30 minutes to prepare a tax return in the traditional way, 4 taxpayers were able to complete their returns in the same time, under the guidance of the 1 volunteer.
In this pilot year, only 41 taxpayers tried self preparation. They self-selected, prompted by a sign in the waiting room asking, “Are you computer literate?” Nayoakee Parker, Asset Development Manager at SDC, noted that many of them brought in returns they had already prepared, seeking confirmation of their accuracy, which make them ideal candidates for self preparation.
Parker’s evaluation is that the experiment went well. It enabled volunteers to spend some more time one-on-one with clients while assisting them with their returns, explaining how tax law applied to their situation. She believes clients felt empowered by this, and she intends to attempt recruiting them as volunteer preparers next year.
Bank account
The Milwaukee Asset Building Coalition, of which SDC is the largest member, prepared 10, 849 tax returns this year, bringing refunds of over $14.5 million to its low-income clients. At the same time, they opened 771 savings and checking accounts.
Parker nominates US Bank as their most successful bank partner. She attributes this to the people skills of the staff member the bank sent to the tax site, and the diversity of products they offered. As well as free checking and savings accounts, they offered a debit card, a combination of free checking and money market accounts, a combination for seniors, and another product for minors.
Client impact
One of SDC's clients this year was a grandmother who was taking care of her four grandchildren. She was very apprehensive when she came in to have her taxes prepared because she expected to owe the IRS. When preparer told her that she would be receiving a refund for almost $9,000, the grandmother began to shake and cry hysterically due to joy. She asked the preparer if her return was correct so the preparer reviewed all of the figures with the grandmother and reassured her it was. The grandmother gave the preparer a hug as a token of appreciation.
